83rd Edition - 1/17/07

• The Weekly Bull (22-17)

With Chris Duhon suspended one game for oversleeping, and Ben Wallace out for the second straight game due to his back, the Bulls still managed to beat the Spurs 99 - 87 on Monday. This was a win they needed, now winners of two straight after losing five of their last six.

The Bulls are two games behind Cleveland for the Central Division (1.5 behind Detroit). They are destroying their division right now, sitting at 6-1, Indiana is second best at 5-3.

This week: Wed @ Bucks, Sat vs. Jazz, Mon @ Pacers, Tues vs Hawks.

Some team numbers:
+5.4 = point differential (5th best is league)
43.97 = opponents FG percentage (3rd best in the league)
37 = percentage made for 3-pointers (tied for 4th in league)
22.6 = assists per game (7th in league)
5.3 = blocks per game (9th in league)

• Cubs: Zambrano ... the beginning

Carlos Zambrano will want to get paid. After all, you give Ted Lilly $10 million a year, you have to give Zambrano about twice as much ... but luckily he won't be a free agent until next year. This year the Cubs have to deal with arbitration. Zambrano got paid $6 million last year. He is asking for $15 million this year. The Cubs are offering $11 million. The arbitrator will take care of it. Mark Prior is asking for $3.8 million, the Cubs are offering $3.4 million.

In former Cub news, Sammy Sosa is close to a minor-league deal with the Texas Rangers. I don't know how this is going to play out. By the end of his run with the Orioles, he didn't have any bat-speed. How does a year off help that?

• Stuff

*Will Ferrell and Josh Hederer in "Blades of Glory"

*There are rumors that Tom Brady and Gisle Bundchen are in a relationship.

*Clap Your Hands Say Yeah has their new album available for streaming on their myspace page. http://myspace.com/clapyourhandssayyeah

*Gwyneth Paltrow is joining the cast of "Iron Man."